“Where we could plant six rows at just under 10kph, we’re now putting in eight rows at 16-17kph,” explains Dan Wrennall. “We’ve always run Kverneland precision drills, but with this latest model, electric drive technology with automatic section control is now well-proven, and unlikely to change anytime soon. So this effectively future-proofs our maize drilling for the next 10 years.”
D&C Wrennall based at Culshaws Farm currently harvests around 3,500-4,000 acres of maize each year, but plants a smaller acreage. Working closely with AD plant customers - in addition to dairy customers – Dan says the capacity of the high-performance SX model has created an opportunity to grow the business.
“We’ve been planting between 1,000 and 2,000 acres with the Optima SX,” says Dan. “When you’re on a good seedbed, it’s easy to cover 100-150 acres/day with the eight-row.” “But it’s just so versatile, that we’ve also planted a few pumpkin patches too.” “I really like the accuracy,” he says. “We’ve been saving seed for customers because the drill accurately plants the recommended 45,000 seeds/acre, and there’s usually 50,000 in a bag.
So we’ve got rid of overlaps, and there’s no waste, which also helps to reduce establishment costs for our customers.” Supplied by local dealer Clarke & Pulman, the eight-row, trailed Optima SX came with a Tellus Pro universal terminal, though the ISOBUS connectivity lets Dan run the drill directly through the tractor’s own screen.
“We’ve run the drill on a Fendt, and more recently have switched to John Deere 6155R,” he says. “And if I do need any help, then technical support from Kverneland’s Tim Rigby is excellent, and never far away.”
